BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team fell behind 24-8 after one quarter and was unable to dig out as Penn State-Behrend held on for a 60-51 victory on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. Bluffton slipped to 4-7, while the Lions upped their season mark to 7-4 overall.
Behrend came out of the gates blazing, knocking down 11-of-17 shots in the first quarter on the way to a 24-8 lead. Freshman Karlie Niekamp (Tipp City/Fort Recovery) scored four, but the home team trailed by 16 heading to period two.
The visitors continued to build their lead with a 16-11 spread in the second quarter. Senior Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) knocked down two of her four shots for a total of four points as Bluffton trailed 40-19 at the break.
Junior Alexis Stevely (Marion/Wynford) sandwiched a pair of triples around a Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) bucket, helping the Beavers stay within striking distance. It was 50-31 in favor of the Lions when Bluffton went to work late in the third stanza. Brown dropped in four counters, while Macee Heckathorn (Kenton) added a pair of freebies, making it 52-37 going to the fourth quarter.
A Brown layup pulled the home team within seven (54-47) at the 2:08 mark, but that was as close as the Beavers would get. Behrend salted it away with four free throws in the final minute, securing a 60-51 victory on a cold Tuesday in Bluffton.
Brown put together her 11th career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. She also dished out four assists and picked up two steals. Niekamp and Stevely both checked in with 10 counters. Junior Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) led the Beavers with five assists and a career-high five steals, while also equaling her career best with nine boards. Heckathorn stuffed the stat sheet with six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a career-high four blocks.
Bluffton hit just 18-of-71 from the field for a paltry 25.4 percent. The Beavers were 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from distance and 13-for-21 (61.9 percent) at the line. Behrend turned it over four more times (16-12), while the Beavers racked up five more rebounds (50-45).
The Bluffton women will return to HCAC action on Saturday, Jan. 3, when they travel to Hanover College for a 2 p.m. tip with the Panthers.
-BEAVERS-